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An aspirant to the House of Representatives, Ogaga Ifowodo, has appealed to some Nigerians to raise N57.4 million for him to fund his electioneering campaign.

In a letter to 350 “fellow citizens, friends and comrades,”, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Ifowodo, whose crowd-sourcing campaign method is a clear departure from what is familiar in Nigeria, said he would, however, urgently need N7 million to kick-start his campaign.

The aspirant, a doctorate degree holder who teaches poetry and literature at Texas State University, San-Marcos in the United States, aspires to represent Isoko Federal Constituency of Delta State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The constituency is currently represented by Leo Ogor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who is also deputy majority leader of the House. Mr Ogor is also seeking to return to the lower legislative chamber for the fourth term.

Mr. Ifowodo broke down the estimates of the proposed expenditure for the campaign as follows: bill boards N3.6million; ward visit and appointment of ward coordinators and campaign committees N2.4million; four campaign vehicles N6million; lease for five months of a campaign office N750, 000; expression of Interest and nomination forms N2.2million; full page advertorial in three national dailies N1.8million; and adverts on four television stations N6million.

The former students’ union leader and law graduate of the University of Benin, who provided the account number into which those who want to assist him would pay, said he would “greatly appreciate your support in cash or kind way of provision of any of the needed materials or services described.”

He stated: “The attached letter explains the circumstances and rationale for my soliciting your help as well as the urgency of my situation.

“It includes bank details at the end. It is my hope that you would gladly help in electing me as a member of our legislature. At the risk of repetition, I promise if you do, I will not let you, the people of Nigeria or myself down.”

Mr. Ifowodo said he was asking for a minimum of N10, 000 for the immediate purpose, but that he would greatly appreciate more substantial contributions towards the entire campaign and the ultimate goal of his election.

He listed a seven-point agenda which he would execute if elected to include: diligent execution of meaningful constituency projects; visionary legislation in defence of the rule of law and social justice; real war against corruption; religious harmony, peace and security; education, youth empowerment and unemployment; human rights, electoral and general law reform; and accountability.

He said though Mr. Ogor would out-spend him by a wide margin during the campaign, he believed that his pro-people message of service and integrity would more than make up for the gap.

He wrote: “I need your help to take my message to the people and help infuse hope in an exploited, alienated and cynical electorate. For one other reason I am running for office is to offer myself as a guinea pig—to find out if the magic spell that turns many otherwise decent persons into lobotomised and thieving kleptomaniacs upon assuming high political office will work its sorcery on me. You can help me solve this riddle of our public life!

He explained further: “I do not seek office as a means of corrupt self-enrichment nor to earn the vain title of “Honourable.” The public good and not the insatiable greed of a select few with access to the corridors of power, has always been and will forever remain my motivation.

“The Isoko people, who will be my local constituents, have a proverb which goes thus: Ẹzozo re gbile k’omobọ yẹ; kẹvẹ o re ruẹ a tẹ tehe abọ kẹ? Loosely translated, it says, the leech dances joyfully when no one is watching; what might it do if we clapped to applaud?”

He noted that though a federal legislator was neither the president nor a governor with a budget and executive powers, he believed the sort of change the people would need “is so thorough that it must be fought for at the small and big posts of our collective endeavour.”

Stating that he was sure that his friend would wish to be involved in the process of bringing positive change to the nation, Mr. Ifowodo said Nigeria needed all good hands on the political deck for an urgent salvage mission.

He lamented that Nigeria was fast becoming a failed state.

“However much pride might impel us to deny this sad truth; perhaps even hurtling into disintegration, a fate that has haunted us since a mere six years after independence,” he said.

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Hahahaha, interesting, this guy have western concept of politics but have no idea about reality which is the fact that control the truth in his fatherland. Not to scare you but you need to study social reality before contesting. Beside risks of life, your budget give your opponent the opportunity to double effort in what we regard as stomach and pocket politics. Also to consider why did the Loe Ogar keep returning to the assembly for three time and seeking forth. Is it he is good or what ? This will help you to stratize not American politics myth.

Harry

This guy “has” and not “have.”
“Strategize” and not “stratize”

Overall, you have a point and that is the truth.

amazing2012

Thank you Harry !

[MMXV]

Another APC masquerade unmasked.
Now we can understand why they write those Wishy-washy articles abusing the PDP. Not that the PDP is good..far from it..but these ‘activists’ (politicians?) are never objective.
Can we really expect objectivity from these partisan people??
First Dino, then Hadiza..now Ogaga!
I have always said all these columnists should open up in their first paragraph by telling us their party affiliations. That will help us understand where they are coming from..and where they are going!
Hahaha! I dey laff ooo!
FAKE PEOPLE!

Kay Soyemi (Esq.)

All it takes for evil to thrive is for the good people to stay aloof.

Are you happy with the status quo?

Truthometer

There is nothing on the campaign budget for “stomach infrastructure”? This battle seems to be lost already. Nigerians don’t deserve good people like you. You can ask Fayemi. Kindly stick to your teaching job in Texas State University.

tsunami1earthquake

This guy is not ready. Please pay attention to your teaching job in the US.

paul preston

so when you get in will be sharing your allawee with us or with your family in us,infact stay away you want to involve in capital flight. Imagine this guy oh?

Olu

Original Oliver Twist! Yeye De Smell!

George

This urgly ofada rice what us to give him free ride. very urgly pls remove his face

Truthometer

You are such a despicable character for describing your fellow human being in such uncouthly language. Everything created by God is beautiful in His eyes. Ogaga Ifowodo is one those Nigerian cerebral lecturer, doing Nigeria great in United States. If you don’t agree with his political leaning, simply say so and move on.

True Nigerian

Ogaga, I see what you want to do. I could have tried it when I returned home too. But I couldn’t be bothered and still won’t be bothered to do so. Among other reasons, Nigerians are simply not ready to come out of the woods and the dark. The level of intellectualism and patriotism is in the latrine. So people like you and me who are world beaters in the outside world have no chance among Nigerians, largely because of their mentality, damaged psyche, near absence of national consciousness and poor sense of urgency on the dire state of the nation.

Professor Fidelis Odita, Philip Ogboru, and the US based aspirant that was gruesomely murdered in 2007 tried it in 2003 and 2007. I eagerly hoped and believed that the people would seize those opportunities to turn the tide. Even when they tried their best, the usual rogues stole ballot boxes. The 2011 guber election in Delta is one of the most rigged elections in Nigerian history. Yet, our hopelessly immoral, untruthful and corrupted courts of law upheld that rape, just as they have often pathologically done since 1999.

Overall, this country cannot and will not be redeemable until the people are truly tired of their squalor and horrific fates. Until then, let them perish if they so wish. I am focusing on my family and loved ones. I don’t need Nigeria; Nigeria needs me. Similarly, Nigeria needs people like you, you don’t need Nigeria.